Accessory

An extra building component added to a building such as doors, windows, ridge vents, louver vents, insulation, gutter and downspouts, canopies, skylights, cupolas etc. Accessories can be purchased with the building or at a later date.

Anchor Bolts

Bolts utilized to secure building components to the foundation. In the case of primary framing, these bolts are embedded in the foundation and secured to the column baseplate.

Bay Spacing

The distance between primary framing members measured parallel to the ridge or eave. Interior bays are measured from centre line of frame to the center line of frame.

Building Height

Building height is the eave height, which usually is the distance from the bottom of the main frame column base plate to the top outer point of the eave strut. Eave height is the distance from the finished floor to the top outer point of the eave strut.

Bracing

Roads, angles or cables used in the plane of the roof and walls to transfer loads, such as snow, wind, seismic and crane thrusts to the foundation.

Building Length

The distance between the outside of endwall girts in opposite endwalls is considered the building length and is a combination of several bay lengths.

Building Width

No matter what primary framing system is used, the building width is defined as the distance from outside of girt of one sidewall to outside of girt of the opposite sidewall.

“Cee” Section

A member cold formed from steel coil in the shape of a “C”, used primarily in bearing frame endwalls and framed openings.

Cladding

Those components of a building exposed to the outdoor environment and intended to provide protection against wind, water and vapour. Sheet steel cladding are those components of sheet steel which form the exposed exterior surface of a wall or roof of a building.

Clear Height

Distance from the finished floor to the bottom of the rafter at the rafter-to-column connection.

Clear Span

Distance between columns, across the width of the building. A clear span building has no internal supports, making the entire space under the roof useable.

Column

Vertical support member for primary or secondary framing system.

Fastener

Fasteners are clips or screws used to attach panels to the structure and to each other. A typical fastener is self-drilling and self-tapping. Exterior fasteners are colour matched to the panel so they blend in nicely.

Flange

The projecting edge of a structural member.

Flashing

The system used to seal membrane edgings at walls, expansion joints, drains, gravel stops and other places where the membrane, cap or counter flashing shields the upper edges of the base flashings.

Eave

The line along the top of the sidewall, formed by the intersection of the roof and wall panels.

Erection

The on-site assembly of a steel building system (pre-engineered building) or components to form a complete structure.

Design Loads

Design loads are the forces to which the building will be subjected. Required design loads must be specified at time of quotation. Loads are applied in accordance with the latest building codes and standards applicable to steel building systems.

G-90

A typical coating weight for galvanized steel sheet. Equates to .090 oz. of zinc per square foot, total both sides.

Gable

A triangular portion of the endwall of a building, directly under the sloping roof and above the eave height line.

Girt

A secondary horizontal structural member attached to sidewalls or endwall columns to which wall covering is attached and supported horizontally; usually a cold-formed “Zee” shape.

Gutter

Butters are the trough that channels water from the eaves to the downspouts.

Haunch

The area of increased depth of the column or rafter member, which is designed to account for the higher bending moments that occur at such places. Typically, this occurs at the rafter-to-column connection.

Metal Building System

Same as steel building system or pre-engineered steel building. All three terms are used to describe the same product.

Oil Canning

The regular undulations or waves that can form in large flat surfaces of thin material.

Panel

Steel panels (cladding) act as the skin of the building. Panels cover the walls and roof of your steel building.

Pitch

An inclination or slope measured in degrees, or percent, or by the ratio of the rise and run.

Post-and-Beam Endframe

A structural framing system utilized at the endwall which is composed of corner post, end post and rake beams. These frames are used when a building will never be expanded in that direction.

Pre-engineered Building

Terminology previously used to describe steel building systems (metal building systems). This terminology was used when rigid frames were ‘pre-engineered’ for a desired load. Today, steel building systems are custom engineered to meet the size and design loads to meet the customers’ needs.

Purlin

A secondary, cold formed horizontal structural member located in the roof to support sheeting, that is itself supported by the primary structure framing.

Rafter

A fabricated primary structural member, that extends from the haunch member to the frame ridge. Any beam, in general, used in a primary frame to support the purlins.

Reactions

Reactions are forces required to resist loads from a structure.

Rib

A raised line in the flat portion of a metal panel (cladding or siding) that gives added strength and minimizes the appearance of oil canning.

Ridge

The highest point on the roof of the building, which describes a horizontal line running the length of the building.

Rod Bracing

Rods are utilized in conjunction with purlins and girts to form a truss-type bracing system located in both roof and wall planes.

Rollform

The forming of metal shapes by applying pressure through rollers.

Roof Purlin

A roof secondary member, which is secured to frame rafters and supports the roof covering.

Roof Slope (x: 12):

This is the angle of the roof with respect to the horizontal. The most common roof slopes are 0.5/12 and 1/12. Any practical roof slope is possible.

Section

A cold formed section is a structural shape that is formed by bending thin gauge (typically 10-16 gauge.) material at ambient temperature. A cold formed section is typically manufactured on our roll formers.